There are approximately 3.2 million fatalities and injuries in the United States every year related to automobile and other vehicle accidents. Medical expenses for the 3.2 million injuries and fatalities amount to approximately $150 billion, exclusive of property damages. Among the 3.2 million fatalities and injuries are approximately 180,000 children under the age of nine.
Currently, safety equipment in vehicles includes the following:
Seat Belts:
Current seat belts are designed to be used in vehicles at any time that an vehicle is running. Often times, vehicle riders do not use their seat belts, generally due to neglect. Further, in case of collision, it has been found that seat belts alone do not provide sufficient protection. It has been determined that certain body parts are not protected by seat belts during collisions, for example, seat belts cannot protect the neck or head area. Also, when seat belts are worn in a collision, the belts cause severe impacts to the body in the areas where they are worn, specifically across the shoulder and belly area.
Air Bags:
Most modern automobiles are provided with air bags. The standard placement of air bags is on the dashboard of the vehicle, generally facing the occupant. When an air bag deploys it typically explodes towards the passenger with great speed and force. Air bags have been known to deploy when not needed, such as when there has not been an accident or when there has been such a slight accident which as not to have required the deployment of the air bag. The deployment of air bags in such cases and in cases of accidents have been known to cause injuries and even fatalities. Further, in cases of severe collisions, air bags have been known to cause severe injury or death to small adults and to children. In addition, the chemical used to inflate the air bag, sodium azide, has been found to be unsafe for some passengers.
Child Restraint Systems:
Most states require that children of a certain age or size be placed in child restraint seats in automobiles. For newborn children and small toddlers the restraints include seats that face towards the rear of the vehicle known as infant car seats. Older children are required to be places in larger forward facing child restraint seats or car seats and/or booster seats. The requirements for booster seats have recently been found to be necessary for older children who are generally smaller, as the booster seat elevated the child so as to allow a standard seat and shoulder belt to lie correctly on the shoulder and mid-section of the smaller child.
The most common problem with these child restraint seats is the fact that most parents do not use the seats properly. When not used properly, these child restraint systems do not protect the child, may be ineffective in preventing injury or death in an accident and can result in injury to the child. These problems could be solved if parents use the child restraints properly. However, because there are a number of manufacturers of these seats and each manufacturer may utilize a different system of securing the seat to the automobile, it is often difficult for parents and others to know how to properly attach the seat.